DIY Desk: An Old Door Makes a Great Desk!

DIY Desk

Have an old door sitting around? Why not repurpose it? There are many uses for old doors, but if you need a desk or table, check this beauty out!

I saw this lovely home office & studio at Meredith Perdue (check out her dog photography, amazing!) and thought you would all enjoy a little peek. Meredith gave me permission to show you her fabulous room and her DIY desk!

We talked here yesterday about creating a little space of your own, and if you have room for a desk or work table, this is a fabulous way to make one yourself! It is not only functional, but very charming too!

One old door

Glass for desk surface

Two sawhorses

I love how open and airy the saw horses look. But if you are short on space or need a place for files, you could also substitute file cabinets!

How do you use old doors? Other than using them as, well, doors, I’ve seen them set against a wall for architectural interest, hung on a wall as art, made into headboards…what are some other good ideas for using old doors? You guys are so good with ideas.

Comments

Oh, I love this! I have been trying to get him to use an old door like this for a table in our breakfast room. He’s not convinced yet. What a great desk, she did an amazing job. I have a few old doors in the basement that I would love to give this a go with. Still working on the ole hubster.

Great idea! I guess this would also work with a flat door? The doors we have laying around in the garage aren’t as charming as the one in the photograph! BTW I loved how you did the post on driving by homes and looking at curb appeal! I do that to….as well as many other things you mention on your blog. Great to know I’m not the only one! Take care and thanks again for all the inspiration.

We did this at our church. We found some cheap cabinetry for storage underneath and to hold up the door. It was a lovely way to create a desk space that didn’t overtake a small room. We purchased all of the materials at Habitat for Humanity’s Re-Store so we were helping a great cause at the same time that we saved money.

I’m giving this a lot of thought. My desk is too small and too low. This also makes such a decorating statement, but perhaps I’d prefer to rest it on some file cabinets or something. Either way, it’s a terrific tip!

I have used an old door for my sewing/craft table…
took the door knob off and was then able to run my
cord to my sewing machine and an extra extension cord
through the hole so it didn’t have to being hanging off the
front…and instead of stacking it on the horses I used totes
and put material all around the edge to hide them…
Tonja

My husband really wants a desk made out of an Indonesian door with all the beautiful carving in it. I’ve promised him that it will happen one day.

A friend of mine finds old doors and turns them into headboards. They are gorgeous. Especially the ones with lots crackled and peeling layers of paint. She has found a way to seal them, so that it’s not (as?) dangerous to bring the lead paint into your house.

What a fantastic idea for a new desk for my office! I will be looking around to see what I can use. I, also, like Vee’s idea of using file cabinets, that way there wouldn’t be wasted space.
When we moved we brought along an old window with the wood strips dividing it and my husband applied the mirror paint to the glass panes. It now sits in a corner of our living room adding character (I left the old paint on) and depth. Just another idea for reusing old house parts for new purposes!

Oh yeah! Doors make great desks! I’ve never had one that looked as cool as this though!

Every time I’ve ever opened a new office we would get flush doors (flat, smooth) and span them between two, 2-drawer, file cabinets and we were off and running! Starting a business on a budget was always my goal!

yes, doors do make great desks – i can attest to this! my door-desk was made from a new door (we didn’t happen to have any old ones, but old ones would def. have more charm!), set upon 2 cubby-shelving units that my lovely husband built just for me. the bottom cubby is the perfect size for my sewing machine. i love my desk!

I did this once years ago with an ugly hollow core door. I tightly covered it with felt and then stapled fabric over the whole thing. Propped it up on tall sawhorses. It was perfect for that time in my life!

I bought a door at Ikea for my desk, it was the only thing big enough to put all my equipment on, but now that I need more space, this is a perfect solution. I will be looking at a local salvage yard this weekend, great idea for saving money. Thanks for the beautiful ideas on your blog.

I do love old doors-such character! I have seen doors used for display in craft shows, to hold pictures, etc. I have seen them made into hall trees, with hooks and a bench attached. . .so many fun ideas. . .

We know someone who bought doors from an old hotel renovation, in Kansas City. I don’t know how many they bought, but the waintscoting they made from them was gorgeous. They were turned on side and attached to the wall of their very elegant dining room.

I also used an old door for a desk set on top of old painted file cabinets. It was just an old, ugly hollow door so I painted a trellis pattern on it. It looked great and the file cabinets added tons of storage.

Wow, Meridith’s room is awesome! Love the door desk. I have to say I am truly blessed to have two private creative spaces of my own, my writing cottage out by our garden pond and my studio space, a former small bedroom. I have graduated over the years from crafting on the dining room table to a little closet nook to a full room as space allowed, all in the same home.

One of the most creative uses I have ever seen for old doors is turning them into a day bed. One door serves as the back, another is cut in half and used on the ends for the sides. One half of a bi-fold door is attached to the front with wooden supports added to hold the mattress. This same project also used reclaimed moldings and finials to trim out the bed. The whole thing was painted out in a fresh crisp cream and dressed out in floral linens. It was an awesome project.

HI! I wanted to share that I had some vertical blinds that I didn’t want to use in the room they were in so….I cut some off the bottom, hot glued the new hems and VIOLA! Had “new” verticals for another space in the house! The glue has held up for YEARS!!!!! And the verticals were a SUPER good sale originally so I definitely got my money out of them!!!:):) Pinky

Beautiful room! I used an old door resting on file cabinets as a desk for years. Now, thanks to a tip from Kim of Daisy Cottage, I’m switching to a farmer’s table, which is more spacious. My door was a plain one though, not as interesting as the one Meredith is using. I plan to use an old door, resting on it’s side, behind the desk/table to hide the wires from my computer. Haven’t found the right door for that yet. ♥

I have an old door in my painting studio as a table…I never worry about it getting slopped up with oil paints or acrylic. It sits atop on old repurposed dresser vanity. I have cut doors down to make chalkboards as well, and I have seen them used as headboards too.

Flat doors also make wonderful thick looking shelving. They have alot of substance and look wonderfully important when you step back on the other side of the room and glance up. And don’t bow in the middle from weight!

I used an old flat door with two half-height filing cabinets to hold it up (a few bricks on top of the cabinets adjusted the height) for my desk until my son took the system to college with him. I am going to set up a new system with bookcases set sideways as the base. I like a door because it hold the computer system, a TV, a small tabletop bookcase, and a ton of supplies, all in one place. The next unit I use will have a small plastic storage drawer system on it as well. Then, I can just put a screen around the whole unit when I want it to be out of sight.

Great idea! I like the idea of a paneled door. Leaves a space for artwork or memorabelia between the glass and the panel. Thanks for the post!
.-= Cheryl Elsbree Interior Design´s last blog ..The Powder Room =-.